Keyless/grooveless foil bearing with fold over tab

ABSTRACT

An improved air foil bearing assembly is disclosed. The air foil bearing assembly includes a bearing housing having an axially extending bore therein and a shaft arranged within the bore for relative coaxial rotation with respect to the bearing housing. The shaft cooperates with the bearing housing to define an annular gap therebetween. A foil assembly is disposed in the annular gap, including at least one foil having at least one laterally extending tab. The tab is adapted to be received in and extend axially from the annular gap and is further adapted to be bent into frictional contact with an outer surface of the bearing housing to militate against axial movement of the foil.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/727,709, filed on Mar. 19, 2010. The entire disclosure of the aboveapplication is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to foil air bearings supporting a rotating shaftof a variety of high-speed rotating systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Foil air bearings are known for use with high-speed air rotating shafts,A machine with foil air bearings is more reliable than one with rollingelement bearings because it requires fewer parts to support the rotatingassembly and needs no lubrication. In operation, an air/gas film betweena bearing and a rotating shaft protects the foil bearing itself fromwear. The bearing surface is in contact with the shaft only when themachine starts and stops, and a coating on the foils limits wear atthose times.

The principle of an air bearing, whether of the journal or thrust type,is simple. When two surfaces form a wedge and one surface moves relativeto the other, pressure is generated between the surfaces due to thehydrodynamic action of the fluid carrying the load. In a journalbearing, the shaft deflects and a wedge is formed due to theeccentricity between the shaft center and the bearing center.

Even though the principle of an air bearing is simple, application iscomplex. For instance, in a normal journal bearing assembly, the runningradial clearance between the shaft and bearing is extremely small(typically less than 0.0005 inch for a 2-inch-diameter shaft at 36,000rpm, for example), Any eccentricity in the shaft, or friction within thebearings, may cause shaft deflection and/or shaft thermal expansion thatcould exceed the running clearance, thereby reducing the useful life ofthe bearing assembly. In addition, damping is required to suppress anywhirl instability, and there can be misalignment between variousrotating and stationary parts within the assembly.

Foil bearings address these problems. While the shaft is stationary,there is a small amount of preload between the shaft and the foilbearing. As the shaft turns, hydrodynamic pressure is generated betweenthe shaft and the bearing foils, pushing the foils away from the shaftand making the shaft completely airborne. This phenomenon occurs nearlyinstantly during start-up, and at a very low speed. When the shaft isairborne, the friction loss due to shaft rotation is extremely small. Asthe shaft expands or deflects, the foils get pushed farther away,keeping an air film clearance relatively constant. In addition, thefoils provide coulomb damping due to frictional contact therebetween,which enhances the rotational stability.

An exemplary air foil bearing assembly 20 is shown partially exploded inFIG. 1. The bearing assembly 20 contains a thin layer of top foil 22supported on a corrugated or “bump” foil 24. The bump foil 24 isarranged on the inner circumferential surface 26 of the bearing housing28, and the top foils 22 is inserted on the inner annular surface 30 ofthe bump foil 24. At least an inner annular surface 32 of the top foil22 is typically coated with a solid film lubricant to provide lowcontact friction between a rotating shaft (not shown) and the innerannular surface 32 of the top foil 22.

The bump foil inner annular surface 30 is in frictional contact with anouter annular surface 34 of the top foil 22, providing support to thetop foil 22. The corrugations 36 of the bump foil 24, as well as thethickness of the bump foil 24, are designed to provide a desiredstiffness, and spring force between the bearing housing innercircumferential surface 26 and the top foil 22 to provide the desiredbearing load support capacity. Typically, a small amount of preload isdesired between the shaft (not shown) and the inner annular surface 32of the top foil 22 when the shaft is at rest. During shaft rotation, airis drawn between the shaft and the top foil inner annular surface 32,where it is compressed. Due to hydrodynamic action, the compressed airdeflects the top foil 22 away from the shaft and the shaft is supportedby a cushion of air. As the top foil 22 deflects radially outwardly, itis supported by the corrugations 36 of the bump foil 24. Depending uponthe magnitude of the hydrodynamic forces, the corrugations 36elastically deform, thereby providing a compliant feature of the bearingassembly 20. In particular, the pre-determined spring rate of the bumpfoil 24 accommodates shaft expansion, shaft excursion and housingmisalignment. The corrugations 36 also provide a flow path for a smallamount of cooling air, thereby maintaining a desired temperature in thebearing assembly 20.

Typically, both the top foil 22 and the bump foil 24 are separatelystamped from sheet metal having a desired thickness. The bumps 36 may beformed in the bump foil 24 as part of the stamping process, or they maybe formed in a second stamping or rolling operation. The ends 40 of thetop foil 22 are formed with a ninety degree flange that is affixed to ametallic key 42, usually by a spot welding or other bonding operation.Similarly, the ends 44 of the bump foil 24 are each formed with a ninetydegree flange, and are affixed to the metallic key 42 by a spot weldingor other bonding operation, wherein the bump foil is located between thetop foil 22 and the inner circumferential surface 26 of the bearinghousing 28 when assembled into the housing 28 (FIG. 2). The key 42,including the ends 40, 44 respectively of the top foil 22 and the bumpfoil 24, is then inserted into a machined keyway 46 formed in thebearing housing 28. Insertion of the key 42 into the keyway 46 preventsrotational movement of the top foil 22 and the bump foil 24, which iscrucial to proper air bearing operation. To prevent axial migration ofthe foils 22, 24 within the bearing housing, plates 48 are then attachedto the outer surface 38 of the bearing housing 28, typically by spotwelding or other bonding operation, wherein the plates 48 cover the endsof the keyway 46. Machining the keyway, welding each of the ends 40, 44respectively of the top foil 22 and the bump foil 24 to the key 42, andwelding the plates 48 to the outer surface 38 of the bearing housing 28are complex, time-consuming manufacturing operations. It would bedesirable to develop an air foil bearing requiring less complexmanufacture while retaining the desirable bearing and functionalcharacteristics.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Concordant and consistent with the present invention, an improved airfoil bearing assembly is disclosed, comprising a bearing housing havingan axially extending bore therein; a shaft arranged within the bore forrelative coaxial rotation with respect to the bearing housing, the shaftcooperating with the bearing housing to define an annular gaptherebetween; a foil assembly disposed in the annular gap, the foilassembly further comprising at least one foil having at least onelaterally extending tab, the tab adapted to be received in and extendaxially from the annular gap and adapted to be bent into frictionalcontact with an outer surface of the bearing housing to militate againstaxial movement of the foil.

In one embodiment, the inner circumferential surface of the bearinghousing includes an axially extending thin slot, and the respectivefirst ends of the top foil and the bump foil include at least oneaxially extending tab, the tab adapted to be received in and extendaxially from the thin slot. The at least on tab is further adapted to bebent into frictional contact with an outer surface of the bearinghousing to militate against rotational movement of the top foil and thebump foil.

In another embodiment, an improved air foil bearing assembly isdisclosed, comprising a bearing housing having an axially extending boretherein defining an inner circumferential surface; a shaft arrangedwithin the bore for relative coaxial rotation with respect to thebearing housing, the shaft cooperating with the bearing housing todefine an annular gap therebetween; an elongate foil having a firstsubstantially flat end portion and a second substantially corrugated endportion, the first end portion adapted to be concentrically wound insidethe second end portion within the gap; the elongate foil including atleast one axially extending tab adapted to axially extend from theannular gap, the at least one tab further adapted to be secured to anouter surface of the bearing housing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above, as well as other advantages of the present invention, willbecome readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the followingdetailed description of a preferred embodiment when considered in lightof the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of an air foil bearingassembly as known in the art;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the air foil bearing of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of foil bearings according to an embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the assembled air foil bearingassembly according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a foil bearing according to anotherembodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the assembled air foil bearing assemblyaccording to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following detailed description and appended drawings describe andillustrate various exemplary embodiments of the invention. Thedescription and drawings serve to enable one skilled in the art to makeand use the invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of theinvention in any manner. In respect of the methods disclosed, the stepspresented are exemplary in nature, and thus, the order of the steps isnot necessary or critical.

FIG. 3 illustrates a top foil 122 and a corrugated or “bump” foil 124 ofan air foil bearing. As in the prior art, both the top foil 122 and thebump foil 124 are separately stamped from sheet metal to have a desiredthickness. At least an inner surface 132 of the top foil 122 istypically coated with a solid film lubricant to provide low contactfriction between a rotating shaft 172 shown in FIG. 4. and the innersurface 132 of the top foil 122. The corrugations 136 may be formed inthe bump foil 124 as part of the stamping process, or they may be formedin a second stamping or rolling operation.

The top foil 122 includes a first end 150 and a second end 152. A pairof laterally extending tabs 154 is formed adjacent the first end 150.The tabs 154 are formed so that when the top foil 122 is inserted intoan annular gap between a bearing housing 128 and the shaft 172, the tabs154 extend axially with respect to the shaft 172. The tabs 154 may beintegrally formed with the top foil 122, or they may be added at anytime during the manufacturing process, as desired. Additionally, thetabs 154 may have a different thickness from the top foil 122, either toadd stiffness to the top foil 122 or to improve the bend-ability of thefirst end 152 of the top foil 122.

Similarly, the bump foil 124 includes a first end 160, a second end 162,and a pair of laterally extending tabs 164 adjacent the first end 160 ofthe bump foil 124. The tabs 164 are formed so that when the bump foil124 is inserted into an annular gap between the bearing housing 128 andthe shaft 172, the tabs 164 extend axially with respect to the shaft172. The tabs 164 may be integrally formed with the bump foil 124, orthey may be added at any time during the manufacturing process, asdesired. Additionally, the tabs 164 may have a different thickness fromthe bump foil 124, either to add stiffness to the bump foil 124 or toimprove the bend-ability of the first end 162 of the bump foil 124.

The top foil 122 and the bump foil 124 are inserted into a bearingassembly 120, shown in FIG. 4. The bearing assembly 120 includes thebearing housing 128 having an axially extending bore defined by an innercircumferential surface 126. An axially extending slot 170 is formedinto the inner circumferential surface 126. The bearing housing 128cooperates with the shaft 172 to define an annular gap 174 between thebearing housing 128 and an outer circumferential surface 176 of theshaft 172. The first end 150 of the top foil 122, including thelaterally extending tabs 154, is received within the slot 170, while thesecond end 152 of the top foil 122 extends circumferentially in a firstdirection 178, wherein the top foil 122 is in facing relationship withthe bearing housing inner circumferential surface 126 and the outercircumferential surface 176 of the shaft 172. The top foil second end152 may extend part, all, or more than all of the way about the outercircumferential surface 176 of the shaft 172, as desired and as requiredfor proper operation of the bearing assembly 120. In one embodiment, thelaterally extending tabs 154 of the top foil 122 extend axially from theslot 170 past an outer end surface 138 of the bearing housing 128. Thetabs 154 are bent into frictional contact with the outer end surface 138of the bearing housing 128. If desired, the tabs 154 may optionally besecured to the outer end surface 138 of the bearing housing 128 bywelding or bonding. Insertion of the first end 150, including the tabs154, into the slot 170 acts to militate against rotational movement ofthe top foil 122. Additionally, optional welding or bonding of the tabs154 to the outer end surface 138 of the bearing housing 128 militatesagainst axial movement of the top foil 122, maintaining the position ofthe top foil 122 between the shaft 172 and the bearing housing 128.

Similarly, the first end 160 of the bump foil 124, including thelaterally extending tabs 164, is received within the slot 170, while thesecond end 162 of the bump foil 124 extends circumferentially in asecond direction 180, wherein the bump foil 124 is in facingrelationship with the bearing housing inner circumferential surface 126and the outer circumferential surface 176 of the shaft 172. The bumpfoil second end 162 may extend part, all, or more than all of the wayabout the housing inner circumferential surface 126, as desired and asrequired for proper operation of the bearing assembly 120. In oneembodiment, the laterally extending tabs 164 of the bump foil 124 extendaxially from the slot 170 past the outer end surface 138 of the bearinghousing 128. The tabs 164 are bent into frictional contact with theouter end surface 138 of the bearing housing 128. If desired, the tabs164 optionally may be secured to the outer end surface 138 of thebearing housing 128 by welding or bonding. Insertion of the first end160, including the tabs 164, into the slot 170 acts to militate againstrotational movement of the bump foil 124. Additionally, optional weldingor bonding of the tabs 164 to the outer end surface 138 of the bearinghousing 128 militates against rotational movement of the bump foil 124,maintaining the position of the bump foil 124 between the top foil 122and the bearing housing 128. Typically, the bump foil 124 is installedsuch that the bump foil second end 162 is located between the top foil122 and the bearing housing inner circumferential surface 126.

When compared to the bearing assembly 20 of FIG. 1, the bearing assembly120 of FIGS. 3 and 4 advantageously requires fewer pails, fewer welds,and less time to assemble. In particular, the bearing assembly 120eliminates the key 42 and the end plates 48. Additionally, lessprecision is required to form the thin slot 170 instead of a preciselymachined keyway 46. Instead, a width w of the slot 170 need only beslightly more than a combined thickness of the top foil 122 and the bumpfoil 124, although it should be understood that the width w of the slot170 may be modified as desired for a particular application.

A one-piece foil 190, shown in FIG, 5, may be used to further minimizethe assembly complexity of an air foil bearing. The one-piece foil 190combines features of both a top foil and a bump foil into a singlepiece. In particular, the one-piece foil 190 may be formed from anelongate sheet, and may be divided along its length L into asubstantially flat inner foil portion 192 and a bump portion 194. Therelative proportions of the inner foil portion 192 and the bump portion194 of the one-piece foil 190 may be modified for specific applicationsand annular gap sizes. As non-limiting examples, the inner foil portion192 may be substantially equal in length to the bump portion 194, or theinner foil portion 192 may be longer or shorter than the bump portion194, as desired. Additionally, the inner foil portion 192 and the bumpportion 194 may be individually formed and interconnected in a separatemanufacturing step, or they may be integrally formed as a singlestamping or rolling operation. After the stamping or rolling operation,an inner surface 196 of the inner foil portion 192 may be coated with asolid film lubricant to provide low contact friction between a rotatingshaft (not shown) and the inner annular surface 196 of the inner foilportion 192. Similarly, the corrugations 195 of the bump portion 194 ofthe foil may be created during the stamping or rolling process, or theymay be formed in a later manufacturing operation. Additionally, the bumpportion 194 may be treated, such as by an annealing process aftermanufacture of the one-piece foil 190, as desired.

The one-piece foil 190 further includes at least one, and usually apair, of laterally extending tabs 198 formed along the length L of theone-piece foil. The location of the tabs 198 may be anywhere along thelength L, but favorable results have been found when the tabs 198 arelocated adjacent a midpoint 200 of the length L of the one-piece foil190. The tabs 198 are formed so that when the one-piece foil 190 isinserted into an annular gap between a bearing housing and a shaft, thetabs 198 extend axially with respect to the shaft. The tabs 198 may beintegrally formed with the one-piece foil 190, or they may be added atany time during the manufacturing process, as desired. Additionally, thetabs 198 may have a different thickness from the one-piece foil 190,either to add stiffness to the foil 190 or to improve the assemblyprocess.

As shown in FIG. 6, the one-piece foil 190 may be inserted within abearing housing 228 to form a bearing assembly 220. The bearing housing228 includes an axially extending bore 268 that is defined by an innercircumferential surface 226. However, unlike the bearing assembly 120 ofFIG., 4, the inner circumferential surface 226 does not include a slotor a keyway.

The bearing housing 228 cooperates with a shaft (not shown) to define anannular gap between the bearing housing 128 and an outer circumferentialsurface of the shaft. The one-piece foil 190 is rolled wherein the innerfoil portion 192 of the one-piece foil 190 is rolled radially inwardlyof the bump portion 194. The bump portion 194 is therefore interposedbetween the inner foil portion 192 and the inner circumferential surface226 of the bearing housing 228. Such an arrangement generally requiresthat the inner foil portion 192 extend circumferentially in a firstdirection 278, placing the inner foil portion 192 in facing relationshipwith the shaft. The inner foil portion 192 may extend part, all, or morethan all of the way about the outer circumferential surface of theshaft, as desired and as required for proper operation of the bearingassembly 220. Likewise, the bump portion 194 may extend part, all, ormore than all of the way about the inner circumferential surface 226 ofthe bearing housing 228, as desired and as required for proper operationof the bearing assembly 220.

The laterally extending tabs 198 of the one-piece foil 190 extendaxially past an outer end surface 238 of the bearing housing 228. Thetabs 198 are bent into frictional contact with the outer end surface 238of the bearing housing 228. If desired, the tabs 198 may be secured tothe outer end surface 238 of the bearing housing 228 by welding orbonding, thereby militating against rotational movement of the one-piecefoil 190. Additionally, welding or bonding the tabs 198 to the outer endsurface 238 of the bearing housing 228 militates against axial movementof the foil 190, maintaining the position of the foil 190 within the gapbetween the shaft and the bearing housing 228.

A one-piece foil 190 therefore minimizes a complexity of the bearinghousing 228. When compared to the bearing assembly 20 of FIG. 1, thebearing assembly 220 of FIG. 6 advantageously requires fewer parts,fewer welds, and less time to assemble. In particular, the bearingassembly 220 eliminates the key 42, the keyway 46, and the end plates48.

While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown forpurposes of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that various changes may be made without departingfrom the scope of the disclosure, which is further described in thefollowing appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A foil bearing assembly, comprising: a bearinghousing having an axially extending bore formed therein; a shaftarranged within the bore for relative coaxial rotation with respect tothe bearing housing, the shaft cooperating with the bearing housing todefine an annular gap therebetween; a top foil disposed in the annulargap, the top foil having at least one laterally extending tab, the atleast one tab of the top foil extending axially from the annular gap andbent into frictional contact with an outer surface of the bearinghousing; and a bump foil disposed in the annular gap, the bump foilhaving at least one laterally extending tab, the at least one tab of thebump foil extending axially from the annular gap and bent intofrictional contact with the outer surface of the bearing housing.
 2. Thefoil bearing assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at leastone tab of the top foil and the at least one tab of the bump foil issecured by one of welding and bonding to the bearing housing.
 3. Thefoil bearing assembly of claim 1, wherein the bore of the bearinghousing is defined by an inner circumferential surface of the bearinghousing, the inner circumferential surface including an axiallyextending slot.
 4. The foil bearing assembly of claim 3, wherein a firstend of the top foil and a first end of the bump foil are secured withinthe slot.
 5. The foil bearing assembly of claim 4, wherein the at leastone tab of the top foil is formed adjacent the first end thereof.
 6. Thefoil bearing assembly of claim 5, wherein a second end of the top foilextends within the annular gap in a first direction in facingrelationship to an outer circumferential surface of the shaft.
 7. Thefoil bearing assembly of claim 4, wherein the at least one tab of thebump foil is formed adjacent the first end thereof.
 8. The foil bearingassembly of claim 7, wherein a second end of the bump foil extendswithin the annular gap in a second direction in facing relationship tothe inner circumferential surface of the bearing housing.
 9. A foilbearing assembly, comprising: a bearing housing having an axiallyextending bore formed therein; a shaft arranged within the bore forrelative coaxial rotation with respect to the bearing housing, the shaftcooperating with the bearing housing to define an annular gaptherebetween; a top foil having a first end secured to the bearinghousing and a second end circumferentially extending in a firstdirection within the annular gap; and a bump foil having a first endsecured to the bearing housing and a second end circumferentiallyextending in a second direction within the annular gap.
 10. The foilbearing assembly of claim 9, wherein the bore of the bearing housing isdefined by an inner circumferential surface of the bearing housing, theinner circumferential surface including an axially extending slot, thefirst end of the top foil and the first end of the bump foil securedwithin the slot.
 11. The foil bearing assembly of claim 10, wherein thefirst end of the top foil includes at least one laterally extending tab,the at least one tab of the top foil received in and extending axiallyfrom the slot.
 12. The foil bearing assembly of claim 11, wherein thesecond end of the top foil is in facing relationship to an outercircumferential surface of the shaft.
 13. The foil bearing assembly ofclaim 11, wherein the at least one tab of the top foil is bent intofrictional contact with an outer surface of the bearing housing adjacentthe slot.
 14. The foil bearing assembly of claim 11, wherein the atleast one tab of the top foil is secured to an outer surface of thebearing housing by one of welding and bonding.
 15. The foil bearingassembly of claim 10, wherein the first end of the bump foil includes atleast one laterally extending tab, the at least one tab of the bump foilreceived in and extending axially from the slot.
 16. The foil bearingassembly of claim 15, wherein the second end of the bump foil is infacing relationship to the inner circumferential surface of the bearinghousing.
 17. The foil bearing assembly of claim 15, wherein the at leastone tab of the bump foil is bent into frictional contact with an outersurface of the bearing housing adjacent the slot.
 18. The foil bearingassembly of claim 15, wherein the at least one tab of the bump foil issecured to an outer surface of the bearing housing by one of welding andbonding.